The Top 10 Questions the Toronto Maple Leafs face heading into 2024-25
The Toronto Maple Leafs are about to kick off their new season and that brings old and new questions along with it. Some questions are exciting, while others are boring because they've been asked numerous times. Those in Toronto know this for certain. Sometimes we get tired of hearing the same old questions being asked over and over.
Part of being a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs is having to deal with endless questions about everything from the media and fans. As a player, you must find a way to ignore and block out the noise. It's easier said than done, but without a thick skin, a player can become overwhelmed. We've seen it happen many times.
Some of the topics that I will question in this article are ones that we seem to ask every season, while others are directly linked to this season.
The fun part is asking the questions now and seeing how the answers play out over the course of the season. For some of the questions, we might get answers fairly soon, while others will require us to wait until the regular season or playoffs are complete.
There are tons of questions that could be asked before the season begins. How will certain players perform? Will this record be broken?
There is really no end to the number of questions one could ask. Here are my top ten questions regarding the Leafs for the 2024-25 NHL season.
Top ten burning questions for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season
10: Will the new players make a difference?
Will the Leafs newest players make a difference on the outcome of the season? Leafs GM Brad Treliving added goaltender Anthony Stolarz, defensemen Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, and forwards Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz this season.
How will each of them impact the team? Tanev is the only one expected to have any real impact, so he's going to have the most pressure.
9: Will Max Pacioretty's number 67 help break the curse?
Max Pacioretty signed a one-year deal with the Leafs on Monday after playing in preseason on a professional tryout (PTO). The big question with Pacioretty is whether or not he can stay healthy.
If he can, there is a real chance the Leafs have added a good secondary scorer to their roster for under $875,000. The Leafs will be hoping that his jersey number (67) will break the Leafs curse of not winning the cup since 1967. (Salary cap information from puckpedia.com)
8: Can Nick Robertson build off of pre-season momentum?
Nick Robertson played his first meaningful season last year with 14 goals and 13 assists for 27 points in 56 games. After a brief standoff with Leafs GM Brad Treliving and rumors of a trade request, Robertson re-signed a one-year deal. He recorded five goals during the pre-season and will hope to keep that momentum going into the regular season.
Will he reach 20 goals and 45 points? Only time will tell. (all stats from hockey-reference.com)
7: Will Matthew Knies take a step forward or backward in his sophomore season?
Matthew Knies registered 15 goals and 20 assists for 35 points in 80 games last season for a decent rookie campaign. Will he suffer a sophomore slump, or will he surpass expectations?
I think 25 goals and 50 points are fair expectations for Knies this season. He is expected to start on the top line with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner, so there will be plenty of opportunities to pick up points.
Knies is the Leafs most interesting player, because after the playoffs he looked like he was ready to become a star. If he breaks out, the Leafs will be getting a significant bonus. On the other hand, Robertson and Domi will be trying to take his spot on the top line from the get go.
6: Can the Leafs win the Atlantic Division
Winning the division is not the title every team strives for, but it is an important accomplishment. The Leafs play in one of the toughest divisions within the NHL.
With the Stanley Cup-winning Florida Panthers, Boston Bruins, and Tampa Bay Lightning always competing for the top spot, it wouldn't be an easy thing for the Leafs to accomplish. Will this be the year they do it?
Unfortunately for the Leafs, if they don't win the division their Stanley Cup chances take a massive hit because having to play the second or third-best team in the Atlantic in the opening round makes advancing to the Stanley Cup finals almost impossible.
5: Will Auston Matthews pass Mats Sundin's franchise goals record this season?
Auston Matthews is 53 goals away from owning the franchise record in goals scored. Mats Sundin is the current leader with 420 goals.
For a player like Matthews, who scored 69 goals last season, 53 shouldn't been too hard. I'm sure Sundin will start showing up at every Leafs game once Matthews gets closer. Records were made to be broken, and this one looks like it will happen this season.
4: Can William Nylander and Mitch Marner reach 100 points this season?
Mitch Marner has flirted with 100 points on three occasions, but never reached the milestone mark. He had 94 points in the 2018-19 season, 97 points in 2021-22, and 99 points in 2022-23. William Nylander flirted with 100 points last season with 98 points. Will one or both of them be able to reach 100 points this season?
3: Can Auston Matthews reach 70 goals in a season?
Auston Matthews scored 69 goals last season in 81 games. Can reach 70 for the first time in his career? If he does, it will be only the 15th time in NHL history that a player has reached 70 goals or more. The last two players to do it were Teemu Selanne (76) and Alexander Mogilny (76) in 1993. It won't be easy, but if there is a player alive today who can, it's Matthews.
2: Will the Leafs win two playoff rounds?
Can this Leafs team do something that hasn't been done since 2002, and make it to the conference finals (third round) of the NHL playoffs? The last time the Leafs made it to the conference finals, Mats Sundin was captain, Pat Quinn was the head coach. It's time for the Matthews era to write a new chapter.
1: Can the Leafs win the Stanley Cup?
When you look at this team on paper, it has all the tools needed to win the Stanley Cup. The Leafs have a good mix of offense, speed, grit, experience, youthfulness, and defensive awareness. Goaltending is the biggest concern.
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Can Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz perform as well as advertised? If they can, then this team has a real shot at surprising a lot of people and winning the Stanley Cup.